Washington (9-1) has fallen. After starting out the 2016 campaign with nine straight wins, Chris Petersen’s team fell on the road to USC last weekend, 26-13, in what felt like a trap game from the very start for Washington. The Huskies held the lead for about three minutes in the first quarter, and then surrendered it to the Trojans in the second quarter, never to regain it.

As for Arizona State (5-5), It has been a rough, rough stretch over the past month. The Sun Devils have dropped their last four games, most recently losing to Utah, 49-26. The Sun Devils were up, 13-0, heading into the second quarter, and the Utes took over.

Washington has not been able to find the right brand of football against Arizona State, who leads the all-time series, 19-15. The Sun Devils have claimed the last 10 meetings with the Huskies, including last season’s matchup in Tempe, 27-17.

What To Know About Washington

Jake Browning wasn’t his typically dominant self agaisnt the Trojans. He was picked off twice by Adoree’ Jackson, and he only completed 17-of-36 passes for 259 yards and a touchdown. That lone scoring strike went to John Ross, who ended up with eight grabs for 154 yards. The next three leading receivers for the Huskies (Chico McClatcher, Dante Pettis, and Myles Gaskin) combined for six receptions and 89 yards.

Gaskin was bottled up in the running game, as well. He was held to 51 rushing yards on 15 carries. No other Washington player ran for double digits. It was simply a poor output offensively. On defense, the Huskies certainly missed Joe Mathis, their leading pass rusher, as they failed to consistently pressure the quarterback. Connor O’Brien, his replacement, picked up the only sack against USC.

What to Know About Arizona State

The game Manny Wilkins had in the loss to Utah looked very similar to the one Browning put up against USC. Wilkins completed 19-of-31 passes for 308 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. That lone touchdown went to Tim White, who caught two passes for 50 yards. Kalen Ballage led the Sun Devils with seven catches for 118 yards, and N’Keal Harry reeled in eight balls for 114 yards.

Both Ballage and Harry found production on the ground, though. The former ran for 46 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Harry, on the other hand, was given only one carry, and he took it 31 yards for a touchdown.

Advantages

Offense: Washington – Don’t expect Browning to have that bad of a game this time around. He’s still one of the best quarterbacks in college football, and is going against the nation’s worst pass defense.

Defense: Washington – The Huskies still held USC to only 26 points. The edge goes to Washington, and it’s not even questionable — even though Azeem Victor is out for the rest of the season with a broken leg.

Special Teams: Arizona State – Zane Gonzalez is the best kicker in college football.

Coaching: Washington – Petersen had his team in contention for the College Football Playoff, and if certain teams lose, it might be back in the hunt assuming the Huskies win the Pac-12 title.

Matchup To Watch

Washington receivers vs. Arizona State defense

Browning didn’t have the best game last weekend, but he still has plenty of weapons around him. Ross and Pettis are capable of going off at any given moment thanks to Browning’s ability to throw them open and launch the ball down the field. The Sun Devils need to keep safety help over the top and protect against the deep ball. If they don’t protect over the top, the Huskies are going to light it up in a hurry.

Betting Odds

Spread: Washington -26Over/Under: No line as of publication

Washington vs. Arizona State Prediction

This won’t be close. The Huskies will bottle up Ballage and Demario Richard, and Arizona State won’t be able to generate enough offense to keep pace with Washington. Browning will look to have a big bounce-back game, and he’ll throw for 300 yards and a few touchdowns. He’ll hook up with Ross twice for scores, and Pettis will also reel one in. Gaskin won’t break the 100-yard mark on the ground, but he’ll tip toe into the end zone at least once. The Huskies will pick up their 10th win and get ready for the Apple Cup.

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